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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. club — a group
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. hand — help
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. club — for golf
  18. lean — thin
  19. rush — hurry
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — a list

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com